Here Our Paths May Diverge
by zeitoon
Summary: Alternate ending to Line in the Sand 10x12. Vala remains aboard the Ori ship to rescue Daniel. Needless to say, things rarely go as planned.
1. The Story of Marcon

Disclaimer: Don't Own, MGM does ... etc. Sorry, unbetaed. Otherwise, love reviews, critical ones too. 

"Come with me," Vala pleaded.

Suddenly, Tomin kissed her, his soft slips infused with the power of all things left unsaid between them. She wanted to give in to him, in defiance of his faith, the Ori who had corrupted him, and especially in defiance of the universe that continued to toy with her sanity. Before she got a chance to overcome her reservation, he broke away, taking a step towards the dialing device.

"I'm sorry," Tomin said as he punched in the code, "I have done all I can do."

"Wait!" Vala interjected, stepping away from the rings towards her husband, "I think I'm going to stay."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. I …"

"Vala, this is no time to jest. If you do not leave now, we will be discovered, and you may not return to your …"

"Tomin, my friends are dead. The village has been destroyed …" Yet, SG-1 had a knack for surviving the most dire predicaments. They must have survived the attack, they must have …

"If you stay here you may suffer the same fate. Vala are you listening to me?" Tomin grabbed her wrists and began tugging her back to the rings.

"Tomin!" Vala said, her voice quivering as she pulled her arms free, "I think I understand the story of Marcon."

"What?" Tomin stared at her incredulously.

"I understand the story of Marcon. The great chasm and everything. Except, not in relation to the Ori and their enormous propensity for forgiveness," Vala added with a look of distaste, "but in relation to you … to us." At Tomin's confusion, Vala continued: "See, like Marcon, you took the leap of faith. You took the first step across the gulf that lies between us. It's only fair that I return the favor."

"Vala, please, your words are as cryptic as your refusal to leave."

"I'm saying that you're my husband. You're all I have left, and I'll be damned if I leave another man behind again to die. I've done it once, and I refuse to do it again. Besides, now that we've become allies, I think we could use that to our advantage," Vala added, shaking her dejection away, then winking at Tomin.

"I still fail to understand you."

"I have a plan Tomin. It's not going to be easy, and will require deceiving a multitude of mind-reading priors. It will also involve reuniting with my beloved daughter again."

With that, Vala sauntered back towards her room, a devious grin plastered upon her face.

A bizarre sense of relief trickled through Tomin's veins as he followed her back, dodging a handful of guards along the way. The ship had veered out of orbit, preventing him from forcing Vala off. But, was he selfish for wanting his wife to stay? Was he foolish in his trust for her? She obviously planned to harm the beings he had believed infallible until late. And was he imagining the desolate abandon in her eyes, cleverly concealed by the upturned corners of her lips? He could recognize that look anywhere, for he had seen it in the faces of young soldiers under his command. Soldiers who had volunteered when they knew he was sending them to their deaths, not because they wanted glory, ascension, or because they believed they would survive under surmountable odds. No, believing they had somehow angered their Gods, they had deserved nothing less than death.


	2. The Leader

General Landry had heard a sufficient amount of blathering to last him a week. He slammed his fist down onto the table, not hard enough for it to echo down the currently empty-looking briefing room, but hard enough to make the man before him wince. Teal'c, on the other hand remained unfazed. "Cut to the chase, Colonel Mitchell," Landry said, his voice laced with aggravation, "I want to know exactly how you managed to lose yet another team member, whilst nearly getting the best brains on this base, heck the best brains on the entire planet, killed."

Mitchell's gaze dropped to the floor. Vala was missing, Carter was in the infirmary with a big gaping hole in her side, and it was entirely his fault. What was it with him? Why couldn't he manage to keep his team together for once? "I'm sorry Sir, but…"

"I believe Colonel Mitchell did all he could against a superior foe. The Ori had outnumbered and outflanked us. Colonel Mitchell did not waver, but like an honorable warrior, saved Colonel Carter and the village," offered Teal'c. As always, coming to the rescue.

"Look, Mitchell. Your mission, by most standards, was a successful one. You saved the village from destruction and you made it back with half your team intact. But you must understand that these times are dire, and we cannot continue to suffer these losses. Am I clear? "

"Yes Sir. Crystal." Mitchell almost wished Teal'c wasn't there to hear him being chided like a schoolboy. But this was the military, and he had screwed up royally. He deserved this. In fact, he was getting off easy.

"Good. I'm glad we see eye-to-eye Colonel. Now, do any of you two have information on Vala's whereabouts?"

"Well Sir, when we didn't find her body amongst the massacred villagers'," Mitchell said, his stomach lurching as he remembered how they frantically rummaged through scores of dead bodies (whose faces will remain permanently etched on the dark walls of his subconscious), "We questioned the rest of them hoping that someone might have seen her. One villager did in fact spot her being led away by a group of Ori soldiers, probably to their ship in orbit."

"In other words, she could be halfway across the galaxy by now. Or dead."

"Actually Sir, we believe that Adria wants her alive."

"Indeed." agreed Teal'c. "Vala Maldoran is the mother of the Orici."

"That being said, I'm still declaring her MIA. Which brings SG-1's count of missing personnel to two. One more thing before I dismiss you. See to it that SG-1's top priority remains getting Merlin's device operational for large-scale defense purposes. You are to resume work as soon as Colonel Carter is cleared for active duty."

"Yes General Landry, Sir."

"And keep me posted on Colonel Carter's recovery. Dismissed."

Teal'c followed Mitchell out as he cleared the briefing room. Mitchell was just about to embark on a fast paced walk in the direction of the infirmary when Teal'c called out to him.

"Colonel Mitchell."

Mitchell stopped in his tracks, unable to face Teal'c, unable to face the judgment of a man who had placed the lives of his dearest friends in Mitchell's hands.

" A great warrior once said: Foolish is he who believes he has done all he can for his people. He should always feel the need to do more, to question himself for the benefit of those who follow him. Only then can a true leader emerge from within."

At that moment, Mitchell's chest slightly unclenched. He felt safe to turn around. Facing Teal'c, he could not resist the smile that crept to his face: "You know T, my Grandma hasn't told me that one yet." Teal'c smiled back, a rare reaction from the Jaffa. Feeling oddly relieved, Mitchell turned once around again. "But she has taught me how to make some damn tasty macaroons …" Mitchell added, his voice trailing as he traveled further down the hallways of the SGC.


	3. The Million Dollar View

Well, at least his prison came equipped with a million dollar view. Today, it showed him another planet, like scores of others across various star systems that had dazzled him, each one of them different, unique, and yet always reminding him of earth. The planet of the day was an aquatic one, brimming with a soup of blue green oceans, and some amazing coral reefs that could be seen from where he was in space. He wondered whether there were tiny islands on the planet that couldn't be seen this far away, and whether the people of the planet inhabited those islands. He wondered about their culture, their language, and their history. Perhaps they didn't live on islands at all. Perhaps they lived underwater, around the reefs, forming a civilization of advanced marine life. If only he could go down there …

Damn! That headache again. Stealthily creeping up on him and pounding against his skull. Daniel had to remind himself to breathe, short shallow breaths. He needed to regain his composure. She would be coming soon to interrogate him. Adria always came, unwavering, relentless, and he needed the full strength of his mind to resist her. He was fine, he told himself. His headache was just an aftereffect. It was not a sign that the continuous mental probing was draining him, perhaps even killing him. He could still resist her, and his walls hadn't crumbled yet.

Nevertheless, he suspected that he had been afforded his million-dollar view for a reason. See, it was all part of the excruciatingly painful process of breaking him. For each time he found himself exhilarated by the idea of a new civilization on a new planet, he had been forced to witness its destruction. Possibly thousands of years of history and self-development nullified by one blast of an energy beam. One would think it should be more difficult, shouldn't it? Yes, it was all part of the plan, making him feel foolish, helpless and insignificant. After all, Daniel Jackson was one man, a mere fly to be swatted away by the Ori's frightfully efficient war machine. And the planets always, always reminded him of earth.

Suddenly, the doors to his chambers slid open, and Daniel found himself impulsively shrinking away, bracing for the physical abuse the guards usually administered on Wednesdays. Or was it Thursdays? But today was Monday, and Daniel looked up to see two Ori soldiers drag in a limp body between them. They deposited the raven-haired woman in the corner of the room, and left, not forgetting to poke Daniel in the ribs with their forked staff weapons. Daniel couldn't believe his eyes. "Vala?" he asked timidly, and then he remembered that she was unconscious.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the short chapter, but was excited about updating soon. Currently working on the next chapter. Once again, reviews make my day. 


	4. The Secret Revealed

He had crawled beside her, and spent about fifteen minutes waiting for her to wake up. She had a nasty bruise on one side of her forehead, but Daniel had to restrain himself from trying to shake her awake. Eventually, she came to on her own.

"Ugh…."

"Vala? Finally, I thought you'd never wake up."

"…Daniel?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"Wonderful. I'm must be dreaming again. I'm going to close my eyes now. Wake me up when you're gone."

Daniel paused for a second, contemplating her twisted logic. "How can I wake you up if I'm a figment of your … Never mind. Come on Vala. You're not dreaming; it's really me."

"Really. Prove it. "Owwww!"

"Well you asked me to prove it!"

"Alright, alright. I'm up. No need to get touchy about it." Vala slowly brought her body into sitting position, making a great show of stretching and yawning. Then she turned towards Daniel, a faint smile trickling across her features. Like sunshine, it began to warm Daniel's limbs: he edged in a little closer to capture its full glow. But when she looked like she was on the verge of hugging him-

"How did you get here? Are the others here too?"

"Oh, no. It's just me actually. SG-1 was on a mission to protect a village from an Ori invasion, when their soldiers captured me. For the past three weeks, I have been shuttled from ship to ship in a wasted effort to school me in the ways of Origin. But, as you know, I've never been one for schooling, so the Orici brought me here to give it a go herself. I've had quite the journey. But as much as I love being the center of attention, it's my turn to ask you. How've you been?"

"Just dandy."

"Glad to hear it. Except that you're a terrible liar, darling. You look like you've been taking a dip in the fiery pools of Zaghos."

"Well, a month's worth of mind probing tends to do that to a person."

"Then you're lucky I'm here to rescue you."

"You're here to rescue me."

"Yes. I had a chance to escape but I chose to overlook my selfish needs and come to your aid."

"You overlooked your selfish needs…"

"Daniel, are you paying attention? Or are my words too confusing that you have to repeat everything I say? Should I go a little slower?"

"No, no. Please continue. You're here to rescue me. All by yourself, in a ship equipped with soldiers, weapons, and not to mention mind-reading priors. You have a way around that."

"Of course I do silly. Why else would I be here?"

"To annoy me."

"Hmmm, that's a good reason. But more importantly, I've discovered that I can resist mind probes."

She had, in fact, come across that wonderful revelation early on, when a prior had trained his glowing staff at her, attempting to prove that she was conspiring against the Ori with her husband Tomin. She had concentrated hard, pushing her real experiences to the back of her mind, and fabricating false ones instead. _She was not a conspirator. Tomin hated her guts. Tomin wanted to burn her alive. She had insulted his Gods and the last thing he wanted to do was listen to her._ She had been surprised when the prior lowered his staff, and smugly addressed her: "As hateful as the pestilence that plagued the tribes of Lakshur, the wicked shall be despised." He seemed satisfied. Vala, on the other hand, had thanked Granus' fat belly that the prior hadn't pulled the same stunt on Tomin instead.

"What? How is that possible? How do you know for sure?"

"I'm not quite sure how, but I have succeeded in misleading the priors when they were poking around in my brain. I hid my plan to rescue you from them, and they seem to have no idea that I'm hiding anything. Maybe being the Orici's mother does pay off in the end. Maybe by carrying her inside me for nine months, I somehow developed an immunity to some of her powers."

"Interesting. A mother and her child do share blood and nutrients through the amniotic fluid. A baby's cells sometimes break off and make their way into her mother's blood stream. It's perfectly plausible that carrying a half ascended being to term has had some physical side effects on you. But superpowers aside, you're still stuck in this chamber with me."

"A minor setback."

"How so?"

"All part of the plan darling. But before I continue, you've been resisting the mind probes yourself haven't you? I need to be sure, because we cannot afford getting foiled by nosy priors just because you're weak minded."

"If you're asking whether I've revealed the design of Merlin's weapon to Adria, I haven't. I've somehow managed to keep her at bay. It's probably because I don't have any real information to share with her. Most of Merlin's memories faded soon after I was taken aboard this ship. All the knowledge revolving around the construction of the weapon has evaporated from my mind."

"Most of Merlin's memories."

"Huh?"

"You said most of Merlin's memories. You apparently still retain some. Is that what you're hiding?"

Daniel hesitated. "Well, I seem to vaguely remember some of the people Merlin knew during his lifetime on earth. For example, the knights of the round table, Sir Parceval, and King Arthur."

"You know something about them that may be helpful in defeating the Ori."

"Yes. But I don't feel comfortable talking about it here. Especially with priors crawling around."

"Alright." She replied, but continued to look at him with wide, curious eyes.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I know where Arthur is buried. Except that he's not really dead, but in stasis very much like Merlin. That's why the village of Camelot was expecting his return. I suspect that although he might not know how to build Merlin's weapon entirely, he might be able to give us some fundamental clues."

"But, I recall you mentioning something about Merlin helping Arthur ascend. "

"Arthur did in fact ascend. But, I remember ... I mean Merlin's memories tell me that he confided in Arthur about the weapon before Arthur's ascension. But, when Arthur refused to share this information with the Others, they banished him, forcing him to assume corporeal form once more."

"Hmmm, his story sounds a lot like yours. Well then, Arthur's burial ground, is it any place we know?"

"Actually, it's not. It's on a planet named Avlicae, Ancient for Avalon. It has the same name as the Avalon we visited on Earth, except this one should be on the outskirts of Vesper's nebula, orbiting the largest star in that cluster. If you get us out of here, we should definitely check it out." Somehow, voicing the thoughts that had been bottled up inside him for so long had made him feel better. He turned to Vala and said: "Plan or no plan, I'm glad you're here. It helps."

She didn't reply at first. Then a great sadness seemed to overcome the sparkle in her eyes as she gently placed her fingertips against his cheek: "Daniel Jackson, why do you insist on being blind to all but the good in people?"

Before he could respond to her exceedingly strange question, she stood up and walked up to the door and knocked.

"Alright boys, you can and come get me now."

Daniel did not have any time to react. The two guards that had brought Vala in earlier burst into the room and grabbed both his arms, forcing him into a kneeling position. Adria and her entourage soon followed.

"Well mother, do you have the information I need, or not?"

The speed at which Vala's demeanor had changed was sickening. With a smug grin upon her face, she said: "Of course I do darling. Your prisoner was in fact extremely forthcoming."

* * *

A/N: Finally made the required modifications for the story to be consistent with canon. Arthur had been ascended once, not anymore. R/R please if you think my explanation is sufficient  



	5. The Betrayal

"Vala? I don't understand. What's going on here?" Daniel asked, bewildered.

"Perhaps I should explain, Daniel Jackson. My mother has made excellent progress towards embracing the teachings of Origin. As I had suspected, her initial rejection of the true path dwindled as she began to discover the benefits of enlightenment. But, as a final test of her faith, I required her to prove her allegiance to the Ori by shedding her ties to her past. She offered to extract the information about Merlin's weapon from you to prove she was worthy." At that, Adria turned to her mother: "Tell me how to construct the weapon of the Ancients."

"Unfortunately, my dear, Daniel's miniscule Tau'ri brain managed to leak all the information away. You cannot construct the weapon. At least, not yet. You see…"

"Vala! Please, you don't have to do this!" Daniel pleaded, "They will subjugate the entire galaxy with this knowledge!" Daniel paused, then continued in a calmer, more persuasive voice: "Vala, look at me. I know you. I know you don't want to be responsible for the enslavement of millions. You do not want to be the executioner of a million others. You cannot extinguish the last hope we have in this galaxy. Vala, I'm begging you."

"I'm sorry Daniel, but I'm afraid you don't know me at all. I'm not this galaxy's executioner. Its fate had been sealed the moment the Ori set foot here. I was disillusioned enough to think that I could make a difference. Now Origin has made me see reality for what it is: the galaxy will ultimately capitulate. You cannot blame me for choosing the winning side."

When Daniel began to protest again, Adria motioned towards him with her hand, clamping his vocal chords and silencing him. She glanced over at her mother impatiently, urging Vala to continue. Determinedly ignoring Daniel's pleading eyes, Vala began again: "Merlin's knowledge has been lost from Daniel's mind. But he has told me how to locate the tomb of Arthur, King of Camelot. Daniel believes Arthur can probably provide useful information about building the weapon you seek."

Her words had knocked the wind out of him. Unable to speak, he slumped his head between his shoulders. It was as though the Daniel before her had been instantaneously transformed into a mere shadow of Daniel. She did not recognize this new stranger who looked up at her with crystal eyes, marred with the tears of betrayal and defeat. She had broken him, and it rattled the very fiber of her core.

Suddenly, his features seemed to focus themselves, mirroring the anger and hatred that were bubbling up from within him.

Adria smiled menacingly, exhilarated by Daniel's current state. Yet, given her mother's history of deception, she needed to make sure no foul play was involved this time. She needed to verify her mother's conversion was in fact genuine. She began to bombard Daniel's thoughts, like a flood intending to break through the walls of a dam. And yet, the dam still held. Daniel's mind barriers remained intact, although considerably weakened. Nevertheless, Adria managed to sense how much Daniel despised her mother, how he would place his arms around her windpipe and suffocate her if he could. Adria was satisfied. She finally released Daniel from her hold, and made her way back to the door.

"I guess I was wrong about you Vala. You really are what you appear to be: a selfish backstabbing liar. There **is** nothing else beneath your overly glossy veneer. I'm glad to know that the time you spent with SG-1, with the people who were foolish enough to call you their friend, meant nothing to you at all," Daniel managed to force out, his bitterness not concealed by his frequent gasps for air.

"Well, you know what they say about my allegiances. They're fickle, like feathers in the wind …"

"Don't you dare quote my culture back at me! Don't you dare touch those words with your poisonous tongue! You are unworthy of uttering a single syllable," spat Daniel.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," said Vala, with a look of feigned horror, "Because when the time comes, and the Ori are finished with your earth, I will be the only one left to remember it's silly idiosyncrasies."

With that, Vala left the chamber, followed by a daughter who was proud of her mother's newfound belief. Daniel was left kneeling on the floor, now completely and utterly alone.

* * *

A/N: I was planning to write more for this chapter, moving on to a different setting aboard the ship's bridge. Unfortunately, the chapter wanted to end itself on this rather dismal note. The quote is from Verdi's Rigoletto, from the La Donne Mobile aria. In the aria, the duke sings about how all women are fickle, like feathers in the wind. I'm not sure why Vala would want to listen to opera, but the quote seemed fitting to the situation. (ooooh, maybe I should write a different piece about Vala's peculiar appreciation of opera ...) I will be working on modifying chapter 4 soon, to reflect the fact that Arthur had been ascended. Once again, love to hear your comments. 


	6. Aftermath

Ori ships did not have names. They did not have names for the same reason priors did not have names: names were sentimental, trivial links to the physical world they were trying so hard to shed. But Adria liked to think of her ship as a living being, spoiling for attention, begging for a chance to show it's magnificent prowess at engaging other ships in battle, and winning. She liked to let her fingers run along the streamlined interiors of the bridge, internalizing the vibrant pulse of her ship, the elegant _Thalaquin_. But today, a prior had already occupied the pilot seat, and when Adria entered the bridge with her mother and the two soldiers that shadowed her, she saw that Tomin and his second in command were present as well, awaiting her orders. She knew that the priors would frown upon her attachment to her ship, probably encourage her to travel aboard a new one. But after today, things would be different. She would tell her mother about the ship, and her mother would understand. First, there were more important matters to attend to.

"Prior, prepare to proceed towards a new bearing," said Adria, closing her eyes, and focusing on bringing up a life size spiral map of the Milky Way around her. Vala thought it ironic that Adria was, quite literally, standing at the center of the galaxy. After receiving an indication from her daughter, Vala walked in between the glowing orbs of light, representing stars and planets, until she found what she was looking for.

"Here," she said, pointing towards a tiny planet orbiting a rather mature yellow star. "This planet right here, containing the village of Camelot is the one you're looking for. Daniel said Arthur should be buried on the other side of the planet, where the villagers are afraid to venture." It was the same Camelot SG-1 had visited before her return; she had read the mission reports. Vala held her breath, and hoped Adria would take the bait.

But Adria didn't seem too convinced. She had heard of the planet, and by the nature of the reports she received had deemed it insignificant. Yet there was something else that nagged at her. Was it the tiny inkling that lurked at the back of her mind, a slight suspicion that Vala was somehow immune to the mind probes she had subjected her to? Or was it the glance she just caught out of the corner of her eyes, furtively passing between her mother and Tomin? Tomin had refused to see or communicate with her mother ever since he had been accused of conspiring with her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Unless Daniel was lying to me about the location of the burial ground."

But Daniel hadn't lied, and had felt honestly betrayed. Adria was certain of that, just as she was certain her mother hadn't lied about entrapping him. After a month of attempting to pry Daniel's mind open, her mother finally managed to give her the breakthrough she needed in under half an hour. Deciding to lay her doubts to rest, she said: "Prior, you have your bearing. As for you commander," she said to Tomin, "Ready your troops for ground assault. You will be joined by four army contingents from two other Ori vessels."

Before Adria could retire to her chambers, Vala looked at her mother eagerly, "Aren't you forgetting something, dear?"

Adria drew in a reluctant breath, and then discharged the two soldiers that had been assigned to keep a close guard on Vala. She had promised Vala this little favor in exchange for her help. She was **not** getting too carried away by the prospect of her mother leading Ori armies by her side, or the idea of destroying the Ancients once as for all. After all, an Orici had no right to feel sentimental or excited. "Are you happy now mother? You are free to roam the ship as you please. From now forth, my soldiers will heed your commands, for you are the mother of the Orici."

Vala gave her daughter a nod of approval, and proceeded to completely tune out the prior who had, after pushing the ship into hyperspace, risen to give her his blessing.

Tomin was waiting for her in the hallway an hour later, as she knew he would. Vala had taken more severe measures to conceal their partnership after the fiasco of nearly getting discovered. Thus, she had asked him to cut all ties with her, and pretend he was so enraged by the accusation of treason that he never wanted to hear from her again.

Instead, they met very infrequently, in hallways swarming with soldiers to avoid detection. Today he pretended to go over the weapons' inventory with his second in command, looking away from his wife as she pushed past him, and headed in the opposite direction. As she rubbed shoulders with him in the crowded hallway, he felt her hand stealthily slide underneath his armor, slipping him the message he knew he had to deliver.

Tomin had once suspected that Vala in reality had no plan at all, but was rather improvising as she went along. So much was true at the beginning. Now, on the other hand, the pieces were beginning to fall into place. She had finally succeeded in shaking off her guards, and getting Adria to trust her. She had gained the power to command the soldiers on board the ship, even to command him. Tomin was responsible for the next piece.

But if things were progressing according to plan, why did he catch Vala trembling as she brushed past him? Throwing caution to the wind, he stopped in his tracks, and turned around to watch Vala disappear behind the corner. He wanted to go after her, to lay a comforting hand upon her shoulder. But instead, he resumed the discussion with his subordinate. "It must be all this deception," he thought, "it's quite taxing." The deception was exhausting him, and he knew that Vala must have been practicing it far longer than he had. Little did he know how close to the truth he was.

Yes, Vala had been right in her assumption that Adria would try to probe Daniel's mind for proof of her mother's compliance. She was thankful she had planned for that. Yet, as much as she tried to forget them, Daniel's beaten eyes continued to sear her heart long after she had left him. Why did it hurt her that he let himself think the worst of her, rather than realize her real intentions? Why did she care that he thought her the vilest and basest of creatures, if the success of her plan depended on that precise fact?

A/N: Next chapter: what's been happening at the SGC. Let me know if the plot is coherent so far!


	7. The Message

"Well then, what does it say?" Sam asked urgently.

Dr. Hedley turned the thin oblong piece of parchment over into its blank side. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned it back to the side that was inscribed methodically with ancient text. "You said Col. Galloway brought this back with him from Camelot?" Hedley asked.

Col. Galloway and SG-9 had been on a routine follow-up mission to the village when they encountered an Ori scout ship. Apparently the ship had been sent in advance to survey the terrain of the planet in preparation of a full-scale assault of some sort. Col. Galloway had had the bad luck of getting captured.

"The Ori commander who had held Colonel Galloway captive gave him this parchment. He then proceeded to set him free. It is therefore our conclusion that the parchment contains some form of message," replied Teal'c.

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but there's no message here. This, my friends, is just a page that has been torn out of the book of Origin. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be heading back to my office to continue deciphering some third dynasty Kardelonian pictograms," said Hedley, gathering his instruments. "I had been on the verge of a breakthrough, before I was so rudely interrupted," he added, throwing Teal'c a sideways glance. Teal'c's only raised an eyebrow in response.

"Whoa, hold your horses there, partner. Don't you think it a little strange that an Ori soldier would set Galloway free? Don't you find it even stranger that he would slip him a section from the book of Origin?"

"I don't know Colonel," replied Hedley, his voice slightly taught with frustration, " Maybe he wanted to convert poor Galloway. Maybe he wanted to give him an extract from the book of Origin so that he could be an example to others; you know the whole 'tell everyone what you've seen today' routine. I don't know, and I don't think I care."

"Or maybe the soldier wanted his actions to **appear** as such," volunteered Carter. She was tired of bullying this man into taking them seriously. Although Dr. Hedley was good at what he did, he only offered help outside of his line of work out of some sense of obligation. He lacked the breathless enthusiasm that arose just out of the prospect of helping others, and the notion of giving more than the bare required minimum seemed foreign of him. "Damn it!" thought Sam, she had caught herself, once again, comparing him to Daniel.

"Look," said Hedley, picking the parchment up again impatiently, "The text reads: 'And on the fourth day of prostration the Ori blessed the people of Codessa with a darkening of skies, and rainfall which rejuvenated the dying earth. The prior said to them: as such the earth thirsts for water, your thirst for knowledge shall be …' and it goes on for … oh." Hedley's eyes widened. He snatched a nearby pencil and began jotting down ancient characters.

"Oh, what?" asked Mitchell, edging in a little closer to see what Hedley was doing.

"It seems like someone took the liberty of placing very faint marks under some of the letters of the text. If I can write the marked letters down in order, I can – " Hedley interrupted himself, and held up the scrap of paper he had been writing on: "Here you go. Your message says: 'Prometheus, do not despair, your fire will set you free.'"

"That's it?" asked Mitchell, incredulously.

"Pretty much. It must be a code for something. Does it ring any bells?"

"Prometheus was the name of the Earth battlecruiser that had been destroyed," offered Teal'c.

"The ship had been named after Prometheus, the Greek God of fire, who had been punished by the Gods of Olympus for giving his fire to mortals. For eons, Prometheus remained chained to a rock wall, getting his entrails eaten out by a giant eagle. It seems to me that your message is inaccurate. According to myth, Hercules freed Prometheus from captivity, and fire had nothing to do with it," said Hedley.

All this time, Sam had been pacing around the room, her arms clasped behind her back. "Maybe Teal'c is right." She said, coming to a stop in front of her teammates, "Maybe it is a reference to the ship. "

"So what do we know about the Prometheus?" asked Mitchell.

"It was the ship that Colonel Pendergast commanded," said Teal'c.

"And the ship that the Rand Protectorate blew up using an Ori satellite," said Mitchell.

"It was the ship that took on Anubis' fleet over Antarctica," said Hedley.

"And the ship that Vala stole," finished Sam. The room went silent.

Mitchell ventured first, glancing warily around the room: "You think this message is somehow connected to Vala. You think the reference to Prometheus is in fact a reference to Daniel, who is a prisoner. And in order to free him, all we need to do is use –"

"Fire." Sam said, completing Mitchell's sentence. The room fell silent a second time: they had come up against a dead end. Suddenly, Mitchell snapped his fingers: "That's it!" he exclaimed. He nimbly snatched the parchment out of Hedley's fingers and began a brisk walk out of the room. After exchanging glances, Carter and Teal'c followed him out, leaving behind a very confused Dr. Hedley.

They found Mitchell in Carter's lab, looking slightly ridiculous in enormous protective plastic glasses, and large heat gloves. He had his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth as he held up the parchment using metal tongs over a Bunsen burner. Mentally kicking herself for not thinking about it earlier, Sam said: "Of course! We used to do this all the time as kids."

"Cousin Cody was the one who taught me how to do it," Mitchell said, moving away from the fire, and over to where his teammates were standing. "All you need is a little lemon juice, and you've got yourself some instant invisible ink." He raised the tongs so that Teal'c and Sam could see the unmistakable Goa' uld black letters that had materialized on the previously blank side of the parchment. Mitchell smiled: "And a little heat is all it takes to make the ink appear."

* * *

A/N: Hmmm, I admit this chapter is a bit weaker than the previous ones, particularly because I failed to include the characters' personal voices. It also has a lighter quality to it, which I thought might be a welcome change after all the seriousness in the past. Hopefully it acts as a buildup to the next chapter, which should include all the action. I was considering having Teal'c read out the message, but decided to leave the contents of the message for the next chapter as well. Please R&R, love to hear your thoughts on this, or any of the previous chapters. 


	8. The Children of Faith

Looking down at the planet that housed the village of Camelot, Vala was surprised that she felt a certain envy towards the worshipers of the Ori. If she had believed in all-powerful omniscient beings, she would ask for their help at this precise moment.

She longed for the comfort derived from believing that things were somehow outside of her hands, and that beings, vastly more powerful than herself, just might be persuaded to help her. She would ask them to make sure the SGC had received her message and decoded it successfully. She would ask that they inspire the SGC to send someone to meet her at the extraction coordinates she had clearly specified in the message. She would ask that she had not condemned the people of Camelot to a life of slavery in vain, but that the Tau'ri would send reinforcements to defend the planet as she had asked. But if Camelot should fall, she would only ask that she make it off the ship with Daniel in tow. Did she really think that the life of one man was worth an entire village full of civilians?

She wished, most of all, that she could ask them for absolution.

But Vala, who had been a Goddess herself, and who had given birth to a demigod, decided long ago that the best target of her faith was herself. She believed in her own abilities and her own instinct for survival. They had proven far more reliable than any Gods she had or hadn't met. So far they had not let her down. So far …

Something awoke her from her reverie, and Vala soon realized it was the sound of footsteps heading towards her chamber. She silenced her thoughts, lest her visitor should overhear them.

"Mother," said Adria, as she glided into the chamber. "The preparations are complete. My combat ships have deposited a ring platform at the location where I shall be conducting my search for Arthur's tomb. I shall be leaving in a matter of minutes." Adria paused, waiting for her mother to respond in some way, to offer her –

"Can I help you in some way?" asked Vala.

"You can accompany me if you wish, and we can attempt the search together. The most likely search location lies in the wake of a mountainous range to the west of the village."

"What about the mountains farther south east of Camelot?"

"That is the second area I will search if my first attempt proves futile."

"Well, my dear, it seems to me that our gains are maximized by splitting up. I can take the second mountain range, while you can cover the first." Vala worked hard to suppress her thoughts, to suppress the hope that her offer would be accepted. She needed to be close to the mountains in order to reach the coordinates of the extraction point.

Adria looked into her mother's eyes, hoping against her better instincts that her mother wasn't planning any mischief. She did need someone to take over the search of a separate sector of the planet, and she didn't trust her imbecile troops, or her priors to do it. Her moment of indecision seemed to last an eternity, but Adria finally conceded.

"Alright, mother. A new set of rings shall be placed at the coordinates you request. You can choose any five guards to accompany you in your search. You shall leave as soon as the rings are in position. As for myself, I take leave of you now to begin my search."

"In that case, don't let me keep you."

Adria turned to leave, but stopped as though remembering something. "I never really thanked you for retrieving the information from Daniel, mother. Or for trusting me enough to believe in the Ori." She smiled at her mother and continued, "If you are successful in finding Arthur's tomb, I shall give you the best gift I can offer you."

"If you're going to say ascension then –"

"No mother, I shall give you my ship to command, this ship, the _Thalaquin_," said Adria, with a look of conviction in her eyes.

"I… I don't know what to say to that," stammered Vala. She knew her daughter was giving up something significant.

"Mother, you've known that I've wanted you by my side ever since you decided to dissent in favor of the unbelievers. Your place is here, and I need you here. Now that you've finally come to your senses, things will resume their natural course."

Vala's attempt to purge the tears that were forming in her eyes consumed every ounce of her will power. "Adria," she said softly, "You don't need to give me your ship in order to convince me to stay. You know that I'll always be with you."

It was a blatant lie, and Vala's heart broke a little more for knowing it.

"It you insist, mother." Said Adria, smiling childishly, and reminding Vala of how young her daughter really was. But the moment soon dissipated, and Adria began hurriedly: " I must go now. You should begin gathering your guards. Goodbye mother."

Sighing inwardly, Vala replied: "Goodbye, Adria."


	9. The Escape

"This is certainly very weird," thought Samantha Carter, "Weird in an eerie sort of way." She was standing aboard the bridge of the Odyssey, casually looking upon the fleet of three Ori ships gathered around the small planet. Under normal circumstances, she would have had to deal with a whole load of evasive maneuvers, and some intense hull damage to the ship. But not today. Today the Odyssey was invisible, and completely invulnerable as long as it stayed as it was: out of phase. Yes, it felt strange, but somehow empowering. The Ori fleet didn't know the Odyssey was there at all, waiting for them, and biding its time.

"Explain to me, Colonel, how we are managing to stay undetected," said Colonel Cunningham. Unlike his predecessor, whom Sam remembered with a pang of sadness, the new Colonel was somewhat of a science buff.

"This instrument right here Colonel, Arthur's mantle, has taken us out of phase into another dimension. The other devices only work to amplify the power supplied to the mantle in order for its field to enclose the entire ship."

"I see Colonel. But what about Mitchell's squadron?"

"Because the F-302's where inside the Odyssey when I activated the device, they were shifted out of phase as well. They will remain out of phase even if they leave the device's field of coverage. Colonel Mitchell is as invulnerable as we are right now."

A crackle of the ship's radio interrupted Carter's explanation, and Teal'c voice resounded throughout the bridge: "Odyssey, SG-9 and I are in position around the designated coordinates. An Ori vessel has just deposited a ring platform. We have concealed ourselves, our weapons at ready."

"Good job Teal'c," replied Colonel Cunningham. "The Odyssey is standing by for immediate transport. We'll beam you out of there as soon as we get your signal."

"Odyssey this is Red Squadron leader," came Mitchell's voice over another channel. "We have visual on the enemy combat ships. They currently appear to be grounded around what seems like another ring platform. Prepare to take us out of phase on my mark."

"This is it," thought Vala, "The moment of truth." She looked at the contingent of five guards who were standing on the ring platform, waiting for transport. Tomin was among them, and he gave her a small nod. The soldiers were supposed to secure the area before Vala transported down to the planet herself. Keying in the coordinates, Vala's sense of foreboding did not subside; even after she saw the rings swoop down and transport the soldiers off the ship. She quickly concealed the small forked energy weapon Tomin had given her before departing, and keyed in the coordinates for the ring transporter once more. Although the Thalaquin had only retained a skeleton crew on board, and most of the troops had in fact left for the planet, a prior was still navigating the vessel from the bridge of the ship. Therefore, her escape route needed to be ready in case of pursuit. All she had to do was hit the execute button when she returned with Daniel, and the rings would be activated.

"Sir, we having incoming," said Captain Sellick to his commanding officer as the ring platform sprang to life before them.

In response, Colonel Bentley signaled his men to take point, each behind a protective cover of rock, with Teal'c at the forefront. Five Ori soldiers materialized before their eyes, staff weapons at the ready. As they began to disperse, one Ori soldier lagged behind. Suddenly, he fired his weapon, taking down one of his comrades. This was the signal Teal'c had been waiting for. He emerged from his hiding place, and began emptying his P-90 at the remaining soldiers. He was soon joined by SG-9, and since they had the element of surprise to their advantage, they managed to secure the area in a matter of five minutes.

"Colonel, if you take Colonel Mitchell back into phase, shouldn't that effect us too?"

"I'm only going to put us back in phase for a fraction of a minute, and then take us out of phase again. Since Mitchell has left the bounding field of the device, he'll still remain in phase even after I switch the device on again. We'll still be able to communicate since I've modified our receivers to detect radio waves from other dimensions as well. But we're going to be visible for only a few seconds, and that's long enough to alert the Ori ships to our presence," said Carter.

"Then I won't take any chances," said Colonel Cunningham, "Captain, boost shields to maximum and prepare to execute evasive maneuvers."

Vala approached the two sentinels that stood stoically guarding Daniel's room. She was determined to try a more subtle approach before she had to resort to force.

"Hello boys. Wonderful day to be conquering and pillaging planets, isn't it?" When she received no response, Vala continued: "I thought I'd have a little chat with my dear friend Daniel about the outcome of the war. Except, I need a little more privacy than these thin walls seem to offer me. Do you think you make the Orici's mother happy by finding yourselves some other corner to brood around?"

The soldiers hesitated, and shifted uncomfortably. Then one of them said: "We cannot leave the prisoner unguarded, for we must protect the mother of the Orici."

" You flatter me. But really, I assure you that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Besides, do you want the wrath of the Ori to descend upon you for disobeying me?"

The soldiers looked genuinely frightened now. They moved away, not before bowing their heads to her and saying: "Hallowed are the Ori."

"Hallowed indeed," muttered Vala under her breath, as she watched the soldiers turn the corner. She entered the combination to unlock the door before her, and stepped inside the room.

Adria felt there was something wrong as soon as she set foot on the planet. Her soldiers had landed several combat vessels and were beginning to amass before marching onwards towards the village of Camelot. Once again, she decided to ignore her intuition and explore the area a little further before heading back to the rings.

A short walk from the rings later, Adria **knew** something was wrong. "Turn back!" she barked at her accompanying contingent of soldiers. They began sprinting towards the ring platforms but it was too late. Above them, and all around them, a squadron of earth gliders materialized out of thin air. They began firing methodically at the grounded Ori combat vessels before they ever had a chance to realize what was happening. Before Adria could do anything to stop them, she watched the combat vessels go up in smoke before her eyes. Not one vessel had managed to take off, let alone rebuke the attack. The F-302 fighters then focused their attacks on the congregated Ori army, sending Ori soldiers scurrying everywhere. The chaos around Adria was complete.

"Woohoo!" cheered Mitchell, as his shot fell perfectly on target, and he watched the ring platform explode beneath him. "Now that's what I'm talking about." It felt good to be winning something for a change. His let his F-302 shoot past the platform before he allowed it to gain altitude again. "This is squadron leader to all teams: it's time to get back into formation people. Mission accomplished and we're heading back to the Odyssey."

Mitchell watched two other F-302's from his Red Squadron rise up from below him to flank both sides of his wings. He pushed his control stick forward to gain more altitude and engaged his rocket booster in order to achieve escape velocity and clear the planet's gravity. He felt the familiar jolt of the rocket kicking in, as his glider tore through the thinning stratosphere and into space. But before his squadron was completely clear, Mitchell watched in horror as the rocket booster on the ship to the right of him suddenly caught fire.

"I'm hit, I'm hit. Mayday, mayday. This is Red-743, and my ship's been hit," came Major Kelley's voice through the radio. Red-743 dropped beneath Mitchell's line of sight, and ignited as it came in contact with thicker atmosphere again.

"What the hell?" thought Mitchell, as he frantically searched his radar and scanned his field of view for any signs of what could have shot Kelley down. There was nothing there. Suddenly the radio came to life again: "Oh my God, oh my God! My engine's on fire! Mayday, this is Red-768. Ejecting now!"

Panicking, Mitchell still couldn't locate the source of the attacks anywhere on his sensors. And then he remembered Adria's telekinetic powers. She must be causing his squadron's ships to spontaneously combust just by thinking about it! Unfortunately, as the stars above the planet's horizon became visible to Mitchell, so did the large Ori ship that was arming its destructive beam. In a matter of seconds, it had blasted through another fighter of his Red Squadron.

Mitchell's distressed voice came over the radio again, "Sam are you there? You need to take us out of phase now!"

"Cam, you know I can't do that. You need to be within range of the –"

"Carter we're getting slaughtered down here! Make it work!"

Carter had to think fast. If should could somehow boost the mantle's power so that it could extend its field around Mitchell's squadron, then she would be able to take Mitchell out of phase. If she could channel it correctly, she could somehow use the ship's hyperdrive as the extra source of power. The only problem was that, if she extended the field, she would also enclose the Ori warship and take it out of phase as well.

"Carter!" shouted Mitchell. He watched in horror as the Ori ship directed its beam straight towards him. Grabbing his controls, he banked sharply, but not before he felt a wave of white light go up all around him. Mitchell nearly jumped out of his cockpit when he saw the Ori beam pass straight through his left wing, leaving him unharmed. He was out of phase again!

"Carter, how the hell did you do that?"

"It's simple really, I extended the mantle's field around you, but used destructive interference to nullify the effects of the field at the center, where the Ori ships are. I superimposed a field that was 180 degrees out of –"

"And by how did you do that, I meant I don't really wanna know. Except that I owe you a steak dinner, Carter. If we make it out of here alive. Red Squadron, prepare to dock with the Odyssey. Mitchell out."

If Daniel's brain wasn't pounding against his skull, like a caged animal trying to break free, he would have realized that he was no where near Vesper's nebula.

If his ribs weren't aching from the last set of beatings he'd suffered at the hands of his guards, he would have noticed that the planet below him did not orbit a bluish young star, but in fact a more mature yellow one.

And if his heart hadn't been weighed down by Vala's betrayal, he would have had the clairvoyance to think his plan through.

But Daniel was desperate. He needed to get off the ship, he needed to warn the people of what he thought was Avalon, and he needed to stop Adria from finding Arthur's tomb. No one was coming for him, Vala had abandoned him, and he was on his own. He had to escape, and it was now or never. So when Daniel heard Vala's voice outside his door, dismissing the guards, he knew that this was his only chance. It took all of his strength to rise from his position on the floor and mentally ready himself for what he was about to do.

Vala strode hurriedly into the room. She hoped that Daniel was strong enough to walk out with her undetected. "Daniel, quickly, we need to get off –"

But before Vala could complete her sentence, she felt Daniel's strong hands descend upon her shoulders. Knocking Vala completely off balance, Daniel's momentum had driven her up against the wall of the chamber. She felt a sharp pain at the back of her skull, and then… darkness.

Daniel tried to steady his trembling hands. Breathing frantically, he let go of Vala's limp body and watched it crumple onto the floor, her velvet hair toppling carelessly around her alarmingly pale face. "She's just unconscious," he tried to convince himself. He lifted a shaky hand to his head to alleviate its throbbing, to pull himself together, but seeing her blood crimson against his fingertips only made matters worse. He had no time for this. He needed to clear his mind. He needed to forget about the shock and hurt he saw in her eyes before he smashed her skull against the wall. She had betrayed an entire galaxy therefore his actions were justified. He needed to leave, right now.

Daniel used the sides of the wall for support as he guided himself out of his prison. If Daniel had turned to look behind him at that precise moment, he would have seen the Odyssey jump out of phase in his view port, just for a couple of seconds before disappearing again. But Daniel couldn't look back. For, if he had dared to turn around again, he knew he wouldn't be strong enough to abandon her, lying helpless on the floor.

But Daniel somehow managed to make it to the ring room undetected, despite his labored breathing and his chest pain. He thanked his lucky stars that someone had accidentally forgotten the last coordinates keyed in. He hit the execute button, and finally, **finally**, left the Orici's ship. Maybe, if he were lucky this time, he'll have the chance to save the world again.

** A/N:** Sorry for ending on a cliffie again (sorry myosotis!). Just couldn't help myself. This was the action-packed chapter I had been trying to write before Chapter 8 somehow managed to weasle its way in. Anyway, I had promised myself to finish this story before the Shroud was due to air, mainly because it deviates wildly from cannon. But I was lazy, and there are two more chapters to go (I hope). I would really love to know what you think, so please drop me a line! 


	10. The Third Battleship

Teal'c looked at the armored man who was standing a few paces away from the base of the ring platform, frozen in place, his weapon still pointing at the last Ori soldier he had killed. His brow was furrowed in a look Teal'c recognized very well, for he had seen it many times before amongst the Jaffa. It was the look of a man experiencing a crisis of faith, a man who had realized that his Gods were false, and that he was in fact on his own to deal with the repercussions of this newfound knowledge. Teal'c slowly walked up to the man, and bowed his head to him: "You are Tomin. The people of the Tau'ri and I," Teal'c nodded at Colonel Bentley, "wish to express our gratitude for your assistance."

Still looking shell-shocked, Tomin lowered his weapon, and addressed Teal'c: "You must be Teal'c of the Jaffa. Vala has told me about you."

"If you know of me and my people, then you should know that I too was forced to renounce false Gods. Only by casting away my misguided allegiance to them was I able to work towards freeing my people from slavery. You are courageous to take this first step as well."

Tomin glanced around him at the fallen Ori soldiers, and then looked at Teal'c: "You denounced your Gods, but were you forced to deceive your brethren? To murder them in cold blood when they least suspected?"

Before Teal'c could reply that, yes, although he was not proud of the fact, he had been forced to kill other Jaffa as well, the rings behind Tomin sprang into motion again. Teal'c pushed Tomin out of his line of fire, aimed his P-90 at the incoming traveler and waited for the rings to collapse downwards again. He needed to be certain that no more Ori soldiers were transporting to the planet.

But the rings collapsed, revealing only Daniel.

"Teal'c?"

"Daniel Jackson. It is good to see that you are alive and well," said Teal'c, a smile warming his face. But Teal'c's smile soon disappeared as he watched Daniel, still clutching his chest, stumble off the ring platform. Yes, Daniel was alive, but Teal'c could now see that he was not well at all. His face was entirely drained of color, and he was struggling to remain conscious.

"Teal'c what are you doing here? What's SG-9 doing here on Avalon?"

It seemed to Teal'c that Daniel was also delirious. Raising an eyebrow, he responded: "I believe you are mistaken, this planet is PX-453, on which we have previously visited the village of Camelot."

"What? I thought that –"

"Where is Vala" interrupted Tomin, his voice laced with urgency.

Daniel had somehow completely overlooked the presence of the Ori soldier upon his arrival, which worried Teal'c even more. Daniel glanced between Teal'c and Tomin, utterly confused.

"I don't understand. What's he doing here?"

"Tomin is an ally, Daniel Jackson. Vala Mal Doran's message to us explained that we were to extract you and Tomin from these coordinates. But I must also ask: why has Vala not joined you?"

Daniel felt as though his insides had been instantly sucked away by a black hole. The truth had finally dawned upon him. "No, not dawned," he thought sardonically, as darkness began to engulf his world and his resolve to remain conscious suddenly vanished. He felt his knees buckle beneath him. When Teal'c tried to hold him up, Daniel pushed his arms away. "No Teal'c…. it's all my fault … I need to get her back" Teal'c ignored Daniel, and grabbed him around the shoulders in order to support him. Daniel, glancing desperately at the sky, whispered: "Oh God … she planned all this … and I thought she was a traitor… I … I left her behind." His eyes fluttered close, and he collapsed against Teal'c's arm.

Teal'c did not hesitate, but radioed his ship at once: "Odyssey, this is Teal'c. Requesting immediate transport. I require medical assistance for Doctor Daniel Jackson upon arrival."

In response, Teal'c soon felt the familiar sensation of his body breaking down into its constituent molecules, and getting whisked away into space. Only after SG-9, Daniel and Teal'c were safely aboard the Odyssey, did Teal'c realize that Tomin was missing.

Adria was furious. Her troops were scattered, her combat vessels mostly destroyed, and to top it all off, the wretched planet she was on did not house anything remotely close to Arthur's burial ground. Orici should not be foolish enough to trust anyone, she thought. Orici should be above anger. Even though her mother had betrayed her, she needed to focus. She needed to salvage the army she had left, to contact her ships in orbit. She needed to get off the planet the Tau'ri had left her stranded on.

Adria closed her eyes, and focused on sending a telepathic message to the priors commanding her ships. They needed to know what had happened, and they needed to send any remaining combat ships to retrieve her.

Light somehow made its way into her pupils, and she blinked against its blinding power. But as her eyes adjusted to it, the floor came into focus beneath her, and she found herself captivated by the intricate patterns hand-painted on the tiles by some craftsman's brush. She wondered why she had previously overlooked this artwork, embedded in the very ground she had been treading on for weeks. Then, she realized that she was lying on the floor, alone, and that the floor was cold.

"Why am I here?" thought Vala. She was suddenly aware of a dull ache, and a sticky wetness that had clumped her hair to the back of her head. Groaning softly, she trailed her fingers along the spot in question, and was surprised to see her own blood on her fingers. A few moments of confusion elapsed before the events leading up to her current state came crashing down upon her. Daniel's anger, his unbridled hatred that had completely taken her off guard, returned to her in flashes, and she shuddered. He had probably managed to get off the ship by now. If so, should she even bother getting up? Was there any point? She squeezed her eyes shut again, and wished she would bleed to death right here on the floor of the Ori ship.

But her blood was clotting, and besides a mild concussion, there was sadly nothing wrong with her. It was then that she felt another presence in the room, silently watching her. Vala Panicked. She sprang up into sitting position, ignoring the pain that reverberated from the back of her head and down her spine. As she glanced around the room, her worst fears were confirmed. A prior was standing at the doorway, his staff irradiating a translucent blue glow.

"Cursed are the deceitful, for they are the foulest of creatures," began the prior, his voice scathing, despite his calm exterior. "**You** have betrayed the Orici. **You** have freed the prisoner. **You** have directed the armies of unbelievers to this planet in hopes of deterring the spread of true faith." The prior annunciated every "you" with utter disdain. "But your deception shall be punished most severely. All those who betray the Ori's trust must suffer the most terrible of consequences."

Vala laughed bitterly. She had nothing to lose now.

"If there's something worse than getting burnt alive, I say bring it on."

She immediately reached for the energy weapon tucked within the folds of her dress, and began pulling it out with the intention of silencing this pretentious man once and for all. But, to Vala's horror, she discovered that her movements had suddenly become sluggish. It was as though the command from her brain signaling her arm muscles to contract got lost somewhere along the way. Her fingers were refusing to flex, and she felt an enormous strain on her mind just to force her arm to retain its current position. "You do not wish to harm me," whispered a disembodied voice. Did the prior say that out loud, or was he inside her head?

"Still, you must suffer …" said the voice, and sure enough, Vala began to feel a crushing sensation overwhelm her limbs and head. She tried to cry out, but somehow her vocal chords seemed crushed by an overwhelming weight as well. Vala felt as though she had suddenly been transported into the bottom of an ocean, where the intense water pressure pushed against her from every direction, and shattered every bone in her body. The dull pain from her head injury was replaced by insurmountable agony. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to form coherent thoughts. "You must resist him," she told herself, "Clear your mind Vala … ignore his subliminal suggestions of pain." Vala forced herself to concentrate. She could taste blood on her lips and realized that her nose was bleeding, probably from mental overexertion. Yet, the crushing pressure she felt seemed to subside slightly. The prior's hold on her mind was continuing to slip, as Vala slowly wrenched her thoughts free. She began to think clearly, and Vala remembered that her hand was still poised over her energy weapon, waiting to grasp and pull it out. "Just a little more …" Vala thought, pushing her concentration to its limits: "Now!" She felt the metal of the weapon cold against her fingertips and, with one swift movement, Vala drew the weapon, aimed at the prior, and fired.

But nothing happened.

The prior smiled triumphantly, his face aglow under the stream of the energy that bounced off his protective shield, spluttering like a firecracker in the darkness.

"Countless other mortals have colluded together against the Ori and failed. **You**, Vala Mal Doran, are alone. Are you foolish enough to believe that you can challenge the will of the Ori by yourself?"

The prior's staff began to glow again. Her options exhausted, Vala decided that if things were going to end this way, she should at least have the last word. She inhaled deeply, and countered: " I am not - "

But before she could complete her sentence, she heard an energy weapon discharge behind the prior. His mental powers had been so focused on Vala, he hadn't been able to detect this new threat at all. With a look of utter shock on his face, the prior collapsed on the floor, his robes charred against his lower back. As he collapsed, he revealed Tomin standing behind him, his staff weapon still crackling with remnant energy.

"… Alone," finished Vala, displaying her signature grin, "I have my wingman to look out for me."

But Tomin wasn't listening to her. He had fallen onto his knees beside the prior, and was sobbing profusely.

Vala wiped the blood from her nose with the back of her hand, and staggered onto her feet. She walked over to Tomin and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, surprised yet relieved that he didn't push it off.

"I have killed a prior," whispered Tomin, tears streaming down his face, his gaze still transfixed by the prior's body, "I have killed the bearer of truth. I have forsaken any last hope for eternal life. The powerful hand of Origin shall strike me down. I shall be punished with fire."

"Tomin, look at me." Vala rested her right hand underneath Tomin's chin, and tilted his head upwards, so that she could look deep into his eyes: " I'm here Tomin. I'm still here. The all-seeing Ori did not foil my plans. They did not stop you from saving my life. Thus it is safe to conclude that they are not as powerful as you might imagine. They will not punish you. You're safe with me."

Tomin's eyes suddenly became accusatory, and he dropped his gaze, pulling away from Vala. "With you? I have listened to your words, and I have followed your path. All I see is more destruction. More hatred. I am ashamed of what I have become."

Vala did not know how to respond. Could she really justify death by claiming it was all for the greater good? Tomin was desperately begging her for a sense of direction, but all she could say was:

"We're in a war Tomin. A war that has been forced upon us by the Ori. If I told you wars do not involve destruction and death I would be lying. Still, if it makes you feel better, you can blame me for everything." It would only be fair: the universe's current predicament was, in fact, entirely her fault.

Tomin was silent. Vala could hear his breathing steady, and saw the tension in his shoulders dissipate. He murmured almost inaudibly, catching Vala completely off guard: "I wish I had never been cured of my lameness." A few moments passed before he nodded at her, and allowed her to help him up. But his eyes soon shifted to her injured head.

"You are bleeding," said Tomin, concerned.

He tried to reach out and examine Vala's wound but she swatted his hand away. They really had no time for this.

"I'll live."

As if to confirm her growing sense of urgency, soldiers' voices traveled towards them from the corridor. "We cannot leave the ship anymore, since we are no longer in range. But from your stance, I suspect you once again have a plan," said Tomin, his former dejection suddenly replaced by a newfound sense of conviction.

"I do in fact, " said Vala, charging her weapon to the maximum. She smiled, and said: "Tomin, you and I are going to commandeer this ship."

"Sam, we need to get her back." Now that Daniel had returned, it was up to him to restore the remaining missing member of his team.

"I know, Cam. But as much as I hate to say it, we have more pressing concerns right now. An envoy of combat ships is returning from the planet. If we don't act soon, they will probably destroy Camelot from orbit. Thousands of people will die."

"What are you saying Sam?" asked Mitchell, although he knew exactly what she was saying.

"I'm saying that we shouldn't waste this opportunity. I think that destroying even one Ori ship is worth the risk."

Cam paused. He brought his hand up to his forehead, and cursed the times for forcing his hand, yet again, and cornering him into making this decision. Could he, with good conscience, choose to save Vala and condemn the lives of thousands? He knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself. "So if we shoot a missile at the Ori ship, it should be out of phase?"

"Yes, as long as our ship remains out of phase as well. The missile can therefore occupy the same space as the ship. If I get the timing right, I can take the missile out of phase, causing it to detonate within the ship."

"And that's how we circumvent their shields. Nice, Carter!"

"One problem. The Ori ships know we're here. Once I take us back into phase again, we will be completely vulnerable. Our hyperdrive is overextended as it is, since it's diverting some of its power to the mantle. So it's safe to say that we will not be able to make a speedy escape if need be."

"Are you getting all of this Cunningham? We need to be prepared for the worst."

"Yes, Colonel. We'll be ready." Replied Cunningham, signaling one of his captains to boost shields, and arm the nuclear missile.

"Cam, if we do this, we need to do it now."

Mitchell bit his lip, and felt his feet turn to lead beneath him. He was just about to give the order, when he heard a disturbance emanating from the rear of the bridge.

"Wait! Stop! You can't fire at those ships!"

Mitchell shot an exasperated glance at Teal'c and Doctor Peterson, who were following closely behind Daniel. "Jackson, you're not helping. Get your ass back to the infirmary, and that's an order!"

"Please…" begged Daniel, his voice tinged with desperation; "Let Teal'c and I lead a rescue team after her. We'll be back in time for you to complete your –"

"Jackson you can barely stand let alone lead a team. And you know very well we can't beam you past the ship's shields." Daniel opened his mouth to object, but Mitchell beat him to it: "Do you even know which ship she's on?"

"Of course I do … it's … the one with the bluish tiles … and a very large window …" stammered Daniel, while unbeknownst to him, Doctor Peterson was creeping up from behind him with a large syringe. Teal'c suddenly grabbed Daniel from behind, restraining his arms while the doctor sedated him. "I am sorry Daniel Jackson, but you are aggravating your injuries but refusing to treat them," said Teal'c as Daniel gradually stopped his feeble struggle and fell into a deep slumber. Watching Teal'c carry Daniel back to the infirmary, Mitchell admitted to himself that this was one of those times when his job wasn't so hot after all. He begrudgingly turned to Sam, and said: "Do it."

Cunningham pulled the red trigger and fired the nuclear missile, while Sam intently watched the timer she had programmed as it counted down towards the opportune moment. Mitchell watched in amazement as he saw the missile rip through an Ori ship's hull, and yet, continue on its path as though nothing had blocked its way. The timer started beeping loudly, and Sam hit the button on her laptop at once, taking the Odyssey back into phase again. The missile disappeared from view within the Ori ship. Mitchell could hear a massive intake of air, as seemingly everyone on board the Odyssey's bridge held his breath in anticipation.

Just when Mitchell was about to declare their attempt a bust, the ship exploded.

The resulting shockwave rippled through the intermediate space between them, sending debris everywhere in billows expanding from the center of the explosion. The Odyssey trembled slightly, but they were well out of range. "Yeah!" said Mitchell, slapping Colonel Cunningham on the back, "Score one for the good guys." But then he glanced at Sam, who had a solemn expression on her face, and he remembered Vala. He might as well have condemned her to death, and therefore his smile disappeared. Nevertheless, the crew members of the Odyssey were too busy high-fiving each other to notice that their elation was soon to be short lived.

"Sir, we have incoming!" yelled a lieutenant seated at forefront of the bridge, indicating one of the remaining Ori ships that had managed to maneuver itself close to the Odyssey. It was as though it had known the Odyssey's exact position beforehand, and was waiting for it to jump into phase again before attacking it. The ship fired upon them, just as Cunningham bellowed: "All decks, brace for impact."

The Odyssey shook violently as its shields barely prevented the brunt of the Ori beam from completely destroying it. Monitors were beeping madly, and some crewmen were on the floor, some with serious injuries. "Colonel, get us out of here," said Mitchell to Cunningham, but Carter interjected: "He can't. Our hyperdrive is shod. We're not going anywhere."

"Damn it, we're sitting ducks," said Mitchell, thinking that the scenario was sickeningly reminiscent of the Korolev. "You probably can't take us out of phase again, can you?" he asked Carter, desperate for some shred of hope.

"Colonel, we have another incoming attack."

Mitchell cursed again, and gripped the control panel in front of him for support. But something peculiar caught the corner of his eye. "What the..," he stammered. He turned his head, and gaped at the scene playing out before him through the view port. The last Ori ship, which he had assumed was pursuing them as well, had opened fire at the Odyssey's assailant.

The Odyssey's attacker was taking heavy damage. It fired two feeble shots at the third ship, but the later skillfully evaded them, conducting itself with the ease of a much smaller vessel. Finally, a well-aimed beam at the glowing energy center of the second ship crippled it. The vessel was left dead in space, floating like a carcass upon a languid sea of stars.

Carter was the first to break the silence. She said, completely unnecessarily: "Wow. I guess Ori ships can penetrate each other's shields."

"Sir," said a sergeant, "One of the combat vessels has just escaped into hyperspace."

"You mean they didn't stick around to fight to the bitter end? How un-Origin-al of them." said Mitchell, chuckling at his own joke, and glancing at Sam to see whether she got it.

Sam rolled her eyes at him. "I'm betting Adria is aboard that ship, and we just let her get away."

"Way to kill the mood, Carter."

Suddenly, a bright LED began to flash on a console at the front of the ship. "Sir, we are receiving a transmission from the Ori ship," said a lieutenant, looking at the LED as though it were about to transform into a deadly bug and bite him.

"Well … then, by all means, let's hear it," replied Cunningham, trying to wipe off the look of shock on his face.

"Odyssey, this is the Thalaquin," boomed Vala's voice over the radio. " As this lovely ship's commander, I wish to bid you good day, and point out that, once again, I've managed to save your sorry behinds."

"Vala!" said Sam, overjoyed, as she snatched the receiver, "It's so good to hear your voice again."

" Oh, I'm sure you've all missed me immensely." Said Vala. Her voice had taken on a warmer timbre as soon as she heard Sam start talking.

Mitchell snatched the receiver from Carter in turn, and ignored the piercing look she shot at him him. He yelled into the receiver: "Vala! How, in heaven's name, are you flying that ship?"

"Well, my dear Colonel, I've been commandeering ships long before you had even heard of a hyperdrive. In fact, during my years of youth –"

"Vala!"

"Let's just say I wouldn't be an excellent **former **thief without keen powers of observation. I learned how to bypass the command from the control chair of the bridge, so that I can command the ship manually from an access panel."

"Well, then, lower your shields so that we can beam someone over." Mitchell knew the implications of capturing an Ori ship were enormous. If they could fly it back to earth with them, they could use it against other Ori ships. Better yet, they could study it and learn its inner workings. Glancing at Carter beside him, he could see that she could barely contain her excitement at the prospect of this new, albeit very large, toy to play with. Things were finally looking up, and his team was once again complete.

"There. I've taken the shields down. But I feel it's my duty to warn you of –" Vala's voice was suddenly interrupted by a large thud, and sound of muffled firefight in the background.

Vala's voice returned, this time rushed and breathless: "As much as I'd like to continue our invigorating chat, it seems that the remaining guards we locked out of the bridge have finally managed to blast their way through. Reinforcements would be greatly appreciated –" With that, the radio went dead.

"Vala, come in…" tried Mitchell, but he knew it was of no use. He looked up at Carter, who nodded. "It's easier to beam them all on board this ship. We can disarm the Ori soldiers while they are still disoriented," she said.

Vala glanced over at Tomin who was firing his staff weapon continuously at the angry barrage of Ori soldiers. She herself had her hands full, trying to throw off a rather large soldier who had pinned her to the wall with his staff. Pivoting against the wall, Vala brought her knees towards her chest, and aimed a kick towards the soldier's abdomen. Her boots collided with his armor as she pushed him back with her legs. Simultaneously, she wrenched the soldier's staff free from his grip, and used it to cast a sideways blow to his head, knocking him out cold.

Vala took a moment to catch her breath. With the intention of helping Tomin with her new staff weapon, she began to head his way, but was horrified to see an Ori soldier aim his weapon at her unwitting husband from a hidden entrance to bridge.

"Tom…" she began to shout out. But before her thoughts could translate into actions, she felt a familiar white light wash over her. Someone was beaming her off of the Thalaquin.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry I took so long to update, but college started and ... well you know what happens then. This chapter took me forever to write, and I wanted to finish the next chapter as well so I could post them together. That way I wouldn't get shot by disgruntled readers who are tired of my cliff hangers :D. This chapter, besides being extremely long, is pretty angsty, and so is the next one. There were some places I felt the plot was a little shaky. But anyway, would love to hear what you think. Please don't be afraid to review, and critique. 


	11. All the Ori Could Offer

"…min!" shouted Vala. She lunged towards him, forgetting that her human joints could only provide her limited mobility in so small a time span. Vala was too late, for, as the bridge of the Odyssey materialized around her, the energy blast hit Tomin and knocked him to the ground.

Vala became deaf to the sounds around her: the crew of the Odyssey yelling at the Ori soldiers to drop their weapons became muffled in her ears. She was blind to all the action as well, all the weapons being aimed by Odyssey marines, Ori soldiers dropping to their knees, with their arms behind their heads. Vala shoved her way past the armed marines, but in the midst of the chaos, some of them tried to address her. Their mouths moved, but no sound made its way to her ears. By the time she got to Tomin, she saw that his armor had been perforated, and he was bleeding all over the floor.

"Vala?" said Tomin, grimacing with pain, and extending a trembling arm out towards her. Vala dropped next to him, and took his hand with hers. "It's alright Tomin. It's alright. I'm here." She cast a wary glance at his wound, and tried her best to prevent the nausea and worry that had melded together at the pit of her stomach from manifesting themselves in her facial expressions. The metal from Tomin's armor had melted from the heat of the blast, burning his skin. On the other side of the wound, Tomin's armor had become malleable enough to bend inwards and pierce his flesh, causing the blood to gush from a torn artery like a fountain. Vala was forced to free her hand from Tomin's tightening grip, and use both hands to apply pressure to his wound, in an attempt to quell the bleeding.

"I need a medic!" She yelled at Sam, who had arrived to her side. Sam nodded, and ran off to retrieve Dr. Peterson who was below on Deck 3, treating victims with serious injuries from the Ori attack. It wouldn't be fast enough. "I need a goa'uld healing device! Fast!" Vala yelled into the room, at anyone who could hear her. Her voice was somehow not hers anymore. It was desperate, frantic, on the verge of tears. Tomin hemorrhaging blood at an alarming rate, and he needed a miracle to save him. His face was drained of color and his eyelids began to flutter as his consciousness wavered. "Tomin! Please, stay with me." His blood was warm against her down-pressed palms, but the rest of his body was going cold. Hearing his name, Tomin's eyes focused upon her again. She needed to anchor him to reality. "That's it Tomin. Just hang on," Vala said, trying to infuse hope into her quivering voice. "Stay with me, and I'll take care of you. Just like old times. Please," she pleaded, "Let me take care of you like you did for me …" Her voice caught, and Vala realized that tears were streaming down her face, now completely unhindered. "I'll make you breakfast in bed everyday, and … and you can order me around …" She tasted her tears salty against her lips. Tomin's brow softened, his expression now completely serene. He smiled, as he wiped away a tear that had balanced itself upon the tip of Vala's nose with a clumsy thumb.

"Do not cry, Vala Mal Doran," Tomin whispered, his breaths short and shallow. "For I have betrayed my Gods for you. I have given up ascension … for you."

"I … I'm so sorry … I should have left you be …I didn't mean for this to … for you to …"

Tomin gently shushed her, and continued: "I have chosen wisely … and I am content. All that the Ori could have given me, they could not … give me … you."

His last breath extinguished, Tomin parted his lips in a final, bittersweet smile, and then he let death, absolute in its judgment, overpower him.

The silence that ensued pounded in Vala's ears. The bridge of the Odyssey was too quiet. Even the usual beeping of equipment seemed hushed and distant. Vala swallowed back a sob, and leaned forward to place a soft kiss upon Tomin's forehead. She let her lips linger, and then drew back to remove a stray strand of hair from his forehead. He would always be the better of the two of them, boyishly innocent in spite of everything that had transpired. She had betrayed him a countless number of times. She did not deserve him. And yet, he had forsaken everything he knew for her.

With the Ori soldiers aboard the Odyssey disarmed and contained, Mitchell managed to make his way towards Vala. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder with a solemn expression on his face. She glanced up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears, and removed her hands that were still pressing down against Tomin's wound. She noted how her fingers were now dyed crimson as she wiped her tears away with the back of her palm. She let Mitchell help her up, his hand wrapped around her waist, as though he were afraid she would collapse. As Mitchell began leading Vala away, he suddenly felt her hand reaching for the firearm in his leg pocket. With surprising dexterity, he felt her twist around within his hold, so that she was facing the kneeling Ori soldiers. Then, the Odyssey echoed with the shrill, piercing sound of a gunshot.

Jaw gaping, Mitchell's eyes drifted from the smoking barrel held tight at the end of Vala's extended arm to the astonished Ori soldier who had suddenly found himself with a bullet at the center of his forehead. His body collapsed to the floor of the Odyssey with a loud thud. Looking around, Mitchell saw that each marine on deck mirrored his expression. All their eyes were on Vala.

Vala's arm fell to her side, still gripping the gun.

Some unfortunate sergeant had decided that this was the opportune moment to rush into the bridge, triumphantly brandishing a goa'uld healing device, too late to do anyone any good. The expression on Vala's face was murderous. But before she could do anything rash, Mitchell took the opportunity to reach out and reclaim his gun from Vala's grasp.

Mitchell let her stand next to the body, with her arms crossed, her brow furrowed, and her jaw set. There were no more tears in her eyes as she waiting for Sam to return with Peterson so that they could carry Tomin away. When Peterson finally arrived, she watched his team put Tomin onto a stretcher in silence, and did not even cringe when they draped a white sheet over his face. Keeping a cautious eye on Vala, Mitchell sent a team over to the Thalaquin, and monitored the repairs to the Odyssey's hyperdrive. In about twenty minutes, Cunningham declared the Odyssey fit to travel, and commanded both ships to enter hyperspace on route to earth.

When it was all over, Vala turned to Sam and Mitchell. Her cold tone was drenched in bitterness as she asked, in a manner so reminiscent of when they had first met her, yet so starkly different: "Where's my Daniel?"

**THE END**

**A/N:** Yikes! I'm seeing pitchforks and torches outside my door. But before you murder me, I've been planning this ending from the start. I really can't see how to end the story any other way, and to add an extra epilogue chapter would really kill its momentum. Nevertheless, if people feel the story should continue, I might be inclined to oblige ... I said might... Now that it's finally complete, would love to hear your input and comments. Liked it? Hated it? Please let me know.


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